A Lords report published today concludes that the UK should keep its controversial voluntary individual opt-out from the European Working Time Directive.
The voluntary opt-out gives individual workers the choice to decide if they want to work more than 48 hours a week.
The Chairman of the Sub-Committee, Lord Williamson of Horton, said:
ìThe voluntary individual opt-out is one of the best ways for the UK to preserve the flexibility it needs to thrive against intense global competition.î
ìOther EU Member States regularly extend the 48-hour week by collective agreement. But in the UK only 36 per cent of the total workforce, and only 22 per cent of those employed in the private sector, are covered by collective agreements.î
ìOn the whole the opt-out seems to work well. We havenít found significant evidence of adverse health and safety consequences. The Government should look at ways of preventing workers from being coerced into working long hours if they donít want to. But itís important that those who want to work overtime should be able to do so.î
ìEmployers should also find more innovative ways of avoiding long-hours working and encourage a good work/life balance.î
The report is published by the Stationery Office: The Working Time Directive: A Response to the European Commissionís Review, Lords Select Committee on the European Union, 9th Report, Session 2003−04, HL Paper 67, ISBN 0104004355, price 12.00. The full text of the report will be available on the internet via www.parliament.uk shortly after publication.
Lords committee report says the UK should keep its controversial working time opt out
.